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Retrospective Reflection

                                                     Personal Statement:

  As my undergraduate career comes to a close I am able to look back on many experiences and opportunities that have shaped me into the person I am today. I have had many personal, acedemic and co-curricular experiences throughout my undergraduate career that have given me the skills and confidence I need to succeed in my career as a future physician. As an honors student I have been able to showcase my work ethic and desire to succeed in many ways. The first way being an honors student has prepared me to succeed in my future endeavors is by surrounding me with high expectations and beneficial resources. I believe what you surround yourself with ultimately shapes your life overall. Being surrounded by like minded individuals pushed me to improve various areas of my personal and academic life. The Honors program also provided me with the ability to focus more easily on studying and homework at school. The Honors lounge was a place I could go which was quiet and always available. This allowed me to alleviate the stress of trying to find a place on campus where I could focus on my work and not be surrounded by distractions. Lastly, the Honors program has allowed me to stand out as a student and has recognized my achievements. In such as competitive field like medicine it is important to set yourself apart. I believe that being a part of the Honors program has allowed me to do that and will continue to provide me with opportunities which will bring me a successful future career as a physician. 

Where was I in H-200?:
My journey map is something that I remember making in H-200 and I was curious as to what my goals were looking back on that time in my life. I noticed that some of my goals have stayed the same and some have changed. This made me realize that sometimes in life things change and thats okay. The things that have stayed consistent in my life is my love for my family and friends, my desire to attend medical school and lastly to continue to show my love for animals throughout my life. However, some things also changed in my journey map from H-200 to H-496. I was planning on taking my MCAT in the summer of 2023 however I realized I was working too much and taking too many summer classes to also have time to properly prepare for this exam. My goal score that I have has stayed the same. I do not want to apply to medical school with anything lower than a 515 on my MCAT so that I am able to explore many options. Comparing journey maps can be intimidating because sometimes things do not always happen on the time line that you were expecting. I think I realize now how life changes and this can also change the prespective you see things in. 











 

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          H-200 Journey Map 
 

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H-496 Journey Map 
 

Who do I want my target audience to be and why?

I think that my perspective on many things as an honors student have changed greatly. I was able to shift my mindset to one that cannot be disturbed or affected in any way. I believe this change that I made intrinsically helped me push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of. My advice for other students, in the honors program or not, is that you have to want to work hard yourself. You cannot let extrinsic factors be your main motivation in your life in any aspect. I want to specifically speak to my audience who may be Pre-medicine students as well. Extrinsic motivation such as money, pushiness from family members and a glamorous status will not get you through the mental, emotional and physical toll a career like medicine takes on you. One of my favorite quotes is from Jillian Michaels where she states, " You can look for external sources of motivation and that can catalyze a change, but it wont sustain one. It has to be from an internal desire." My hope is that all students, especially honors students, have this mindset. I believe being an honors student and altering my mindset ultimately lead to greater academic achievements.

Three Honors Experiences and How they Connect to my Life Now:  

-The first honors experience that has shown how my perspective has evolved was included in my showcase artifact 1. This experience was the comparison between my two journey maps. Through my journey I was able to accept the fact that sometimes your plan doesn't always work out perfectly. However, I also realized that by comparing my two journey maps my mind has not changed on the major things I want to accomplish in life. This has given me the confidence to continue on my journey and not give up.
-The second honors experience that has shaped me into who I am today was participating in research with Dr. Gentry. This can be found under my showcase artifact 2 tab. I really appreciated his patience and being so open about explaining certain prodecures. Asking questions was always something that I struggled with which was challenging since it is such an essential part of learning. Dr. Gentry has provided a safe environment to learn in and I will always appreciate his help and allowing me to also be creative with my research. I am currently doing my capstone with Dr. Gentry which focuses on Skin Cancer which I am extremely passionate about! I think that this experience and getting to work with Dr. Gentry has given me confidence that will extend beyond my undergraduate career and into my career. 
-The third honors experience that has shaped me into who I am today is Instructing at Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Center. This experience can be found under the showcase artifact 3 tab. Instructing has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life and has taught me skills that most experiences have not provided. I have been able to take on the important job of serving our community as an honors student which I take a great amount of pride in. At Morning Dove I have been able to combine my love for horses and medicine while learning various skills that will continue to help me in my future career as a physician. 

Feel Free to Contact Me:

If you are a new student here at IUPUI thinking about majoring in biology or chemistry and have questions feel free to contact me

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